Can you put raw lamb in a slow cooker?
Yes! You can put raw lamb (and most other meats) straight into the slow cooker. This is usually done if you’re very short on time. However, you can't put frozen lamb into the slow cooker, it must be defrosted. Frozen meat can take too long to reach temperature in a slow cooker, which can be risky in terms of food safety.
If you have an extra 10 minutes, it’s often worth browning the meat before slow cooking it. Browning or searing the meat in a hot pan caramelises its surface, which can give the final dish a richer, deeper flavour and colour. The high temperatures also help to render the fat on the surface of your lamb.
To brown, pre-heat a pan on high heat with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Sear each side of the meat for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. You only want to give colour to the outside, and the rest will cook in the slow cooker.
Slow cooker lamb recipes
If you're slow cooking with lamb this season, find lots of tasty lamb recipes below! From curried melt-in-your-mouth lamb shanks to Greek-style lamb shoulder slow-roasted in the oven, there are lots of ideas worth saving to your myfoodbook cookbooks.
Get the recipe: Sri Lankan Lamb Shank Curry
This recipe calls for the shanks to be browned before going in the slow cooker, but you can put them in raw if you're in a rush.
Get the recipe: Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary
This Greek-inspired marinade is a gorgeous match for lamb. This lamb shoulder will feed the whole family and will likely leave you with leftovers for lunch.
Get the recipe: Korma Marinated Lamb Shoulder with Spinach Lentils
You won't believe the beautiful flavours that come from such a simple recipes! And those hearty lentils cooked in the roasting pan juices are just the cherry on top.
